Railway roadbed and track construction



June 26, 1928. 1,674,893

E. R. EDSON RAILWAY ROADBED AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION Filed April 18, 1927 Z a I /z u H g i H 1 :1 51 Z0 r g- IL] 2 4 M ;W? I v ,4

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Patented June 26, 35%28.

' ELMEB R. nnson, or ronrnann, oaneon.

RAILWAY ROA'DBED AND TRACK. CUNSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 18,1927. Serial No. 184,68Ei..

'1 My invention relates to myUnited States Patent. Number 1,612,271 issued to me under date of December .28, 1926.

j'This invention further relates to United 5 States patent; applications, filed concurrently herewith, and issuing as Patent 1,669,741, I May 15, 1928, for a switching device, and Patent 1,669,742, May 15, 1928, for a railway switch.

The primary object of my present invention consists in providing road bed and track for railways wherein relatively high speeds are required, and consists in providing suitable means for maintaining the vehicle to be propelled along. the track in intimaterelations-hip with the track structure, the same consisting primarily of a ballasted railway .ofties having superposed thereon a fabricated metal base of structural members to which a railway rail is attached by any suit- .able fastening means, one flange of the rail projecting sufficiently to permit of anengagement of an antiderailment wheel thereunder, thus providing for two flanged wheels engaging the rail, one upon either side, thus making possible high rates of speed and reducing the possibilities ofderailment to a minimum by engaging each rail upon oppositely disposed sides thereof.

A further object of my invention consists in providing simple and efficient means of connecting the rail with the fabricated metallic support thereunder, in a manner to permit'of the replacement of the rail Inemberswitlrout the necessity of removing the fabricated support associated therewith.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing means to maintain the drive wheels of the vehicle in intimate relationship with the rail and further providing an outwardly disposed flange on the under side of the rail with which an antiderailing flanged wheel may be made to engage and to cooperate with the driving and supporting wheel of the vehicle.

And still further objects of my invention consist in utilizing in so far as possible standard shapes of approved design, and construction.

With these and incidental objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings i Fig.1 is a top plan view, partially in section, of the assembled units.

Fig. 2 isasectional end view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated. i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged, end section view, of the fabricated base showing the same adapted to a masonry or concrete substructure.

Like reference characters refer to like parts'throughout the several views.

I preferably formmy substructure of railway ties 1, which are of the standard form and in place and alignment. I place thereupon a fabricated structural metallic base composed of longitudinal beams 2 and 3, the bases, of which rest upon the ties and are secured thereto by any suitable fastening means, as by railway spikes. Cross members 4 and 5 maintain the longitudinal members in. spaced'relationship. The same may be made of special design having outwardly disposedend flanges 6 and 7, and be secured to the longitudinal members by suitable fastening means, as by rivets 8, or the same maybe bent or formed at right angles, as illustrated at 9 in Fig. 1, to form a foot thereupon that isat right angles to the body of the cross tie members and adapted to engagement with the web of the longitudinal beam. Where a specially rigid construction is required, the same may have flanges disposed at either side of the cross web and having a row of fastening elements disposed at either side thereof. The head of the longitudinal members 2 and 3 is preferably formed of unequal legs 10 and 11 and supported thereupon is a ball rail 12, having an outwardly disposed leg 13, terminating in a ball 14 on the outer end. The rail and the longitudinal members are secured together by means permitting the removal of the rail from the beam as by bolts 15 and 16. I

It is desirable that the ball 14 be disposed far enough from the end of the flange or leg 11 to permit of the passage of the flanged wheel 17 with a clearance 18 between the inner wall of the flanged wheel and the outer end of the leg of the upper flange 11 of the beam. The support and the driving wheel are illustrated in dotted position at 19 in Fig. 2, with the flange of the wheel here shown as being disposed on the inner side of the ball 20 of the rail. The flange 21 of the wheel 17 engaging the ball 14 of the rail,

prevents the flanged driving and supporting wheel from rising sufficiently from the ball rail to permit of the disengagement of the supporting and driving wheel from the track, which makes possible a higher rate of speedthan if the lower guidewheel were not terms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow: IVhat I claim is 1- r 1. In a device of the class described, the

- coi'nbination of a structural road bed sub structure composed 'of longitudinal beams spaced apart"throughout their longitudinal alignment substantially the gauge of the track by cross struts securedto the web of the beams bysuitable iastening'means, and a railway rail superposed and secured upon each longitudinal beam, said rail being composed of a ball section and a base section and a web disposed therebetween, said base being composed of two legsof unequal length and one of said legs terminating on its outer end in a ball like shape.

.2. In a device oi the class described, the combination with a road bed substructure composed of longitudinal beams spaced apart substantially the gauge of the railway and cross struts having flanged ends secured to the web of the longitudinal beams, of a rail disposed upon each of the longitudinal beams, and said rail having an outwardly projecting base portion terminating in an enlarged oval shaped edge substantially as described.

In a device of the class described, the combination of a substructure composed of fabricated longitudinal beams spaced apart substantially the gauge of the railway, cross struts having flanged, ends secured to the web of the longitudinal beams, and arail superposed upon each longitudinal beam,

said rail having unequal legs'composing its baseand one oi said legs terminating 1n a rounded edge. 1 l

4. In a device of the class described, the

'combination'wilh a base or supporting structure'composed of two'parallel spaced beams, including spacing means therefor, of a ra1l secured upon each" beam, each rail belng "formed with a ball tread, a supporting web,-

and two oppositely projecting legs or flanges of unequal width forming the base of said rail, the widerof the two flanges having an enlarged reinforcing portion upon and cont nuous Wlllll its upper outer edge, and projecting beyond the aforesaid beam to admit oi the travel of a guard wheel'upon'its under surface substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class 'deseribed, the

structure'composed of two parallelspaced combination: with a base or supporting I beams, including spacing means therefor, of

a rail secured upon each beam, each rail bein formed with a ball tread, a supporting we and two oppositely projecting legs or flanges of unequal width forming the base of said rail, and the wider of the two flanges projecting beyond the aforesaid beamto admit of the travel of a guard wheel uponits under surface substantially asdes'cribed.

I ELMER R. EDSON. I 

